About Celal Başkale
Celal Başkale was a Turkish politician.
Mahir Koç, more commonly known under his nickname Celal Başkale, was a Kurdish commander of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a militant organization that has been fighting the government of Turkey for autonomy for Kurdish people, since 1984. It is recognized as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
Başkale started out as a bodyguard for Fehman Hûseyn (Bahoz Erdal), and later rose to become the commander of all PKK operations in the Black Sea Region. Seven of the commandos were killed and three were injured.
On April 11, 2012, two Turkish soldiers were killed in a PKK ambush near Çiğdemlik. In response the Turkish military started a large-scale operation against the PKK throughout Amasya Province. Celal Başkale was killed by Turkish forces along with another PKK militant on April 14.
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Celal Başkale?
PKK Black Sea Region Commander
When did Celal Başkale die?
Celal Başkale died on 14 April 2012 in Amasya.
What was Celal Başkale's occupation?
Celal Başkale was a politician.
What nationality was Celal Başkale?
Celal Başkale was Turkish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Celal Başkale. https://biography.guide/celal-baskale/
MLA: "Celal Başkale." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/celal-baskale/.
Chicago: "Celal Başkale." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/celal-baskale/.
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